Air filter housing and air filter for an air intake conduit of an internal combustion engine

Abstract

An air filter housing for intake air of an internal combustion engine has a housing pot having a housing wall and a receiving opening. The receiving opening is delimited circumferentially by a free rim section of the housing wall. Through the receiving opening, an air filter element with circumferential radial sealing element is insertable into the housing pot and a housing cover closes off the housing pot. The radial sealing element, when the air filter element is inserted into the housing pot, projects radially outwardly past the free rim section and seals housing cover and housing pot relative to each other. The housing pot is provided externally with a stop that limits axial deformation of the radial sealing element relative to the free rim section of the housing wall when the housing cover is placed onto the housing pot.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An air filter housing for an intake air conduit of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the air filter housing comprising:
 a housing pot comprising a housing wall and a receiving opening, wherein the receiving opening is delimited circumferentially by a free rim section of the housing wall, wherein through the receiving opening an air filter element, provided with a circumferentially extending elastomeric radial sealing element, is insertable into the housing pot; 
 a housing cover configured to be placed along a mounting axis onto the housing pot; 
 wherein the radial sealing element of the air filter element, when the air filter element is inserted into the housing pot, projects in a radial direction past the free rim section in an outward direction and seals the housing cover and the housing pot relative to each other; 
 wherein the housing wall and the free rim area circumferentially surround the receiving opening of the housing pot; 
 wherein the housing pot comprises:
 a circumferentially extending collar formed on and projecting radially outwardly from an exterior surface of the housing wall of the housing pot and surrounding the receiving opening; and 
 a plurality of stop ribs formed on and projecting radially outwardly from the exterior surface of the housing wall, the plurality of stop ribs projecting axially outwardly away from the circumferentially extending collar towards the receiving opening; 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs are circumferentially spaced apart about the circumferentially extending collar, and are positioned to contact against an axial side of the radial sealing element of the filter element, such that the radial sealing element of the filter element is spaced axially away from the circumferentially extending collar by the plurality of stop ribs so as to support the radial sealing element on the housing pot in an axial direction; 
 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs limits an axially oriented deformation of the radial sealing element relative to the free rim section of the housing wall when the housing cover is placed onto the housing pot. 
 
     
     
       2. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of stop ribs is integrally formed on the housing pot. 
 
     
     
       3. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing pot has a polygonal shape with housing corners, 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs is correlated with one of the housing corners. 
 
     
     
       4. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of stop ribs is at least partially rounded. 
 
     
     
       5. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of stop ribs are arranged spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the housing pot. 
 
     
     
       6. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing pot has a polygonal shape with housing corners, 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs are correlated with at least two of the housing corners. 
 
     
     
       7. The air filter housing according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the at least two housing corners are arranged opposite each other. 
 
     
     
       8. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing pot is formed of thermoplastic material. 
 
     
     
       9. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing cover is formed of thermoplastic material. 
 
     
     
       10. The air filter housing according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing pot and the housing cover are formed of thermoplastic material. 
 
     
     
       11. An air filter for an air intake conduit of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the air filter comprising:
 an air filter housing comprising a housing pot comprising a housing wall and a receiving opening,
 wherein the receiving opening is delimited circumferentially by a free rim section of the housing wall, and further comprising
 a housing cover configured to be placed along a mounting axis onto the housing pot; 
 
 
 an air filter element, provided with a circumferentially extending elastomeric radial sealing element, insertable into the housing pot through the receiving opening;
 wherein the radial sealing element of the air filter element, when the air filter element is inserted into the housing pot, projects in a radial direction past the free rim section in an outward direction and seals the housing cover and the housing pot relative to each other, 
 wherein the radial sealing element extends into a sealing gap disposed between the housing pot and the housing cover; 
 
 wherein the housing pot comprises:
 a circumferentially extending collar formed on and projecting radially outwardly from an exterior surface of the housing wall of the housing pot and surrounding the receiving opening; and 
 a plurality of stop ribs formed on and projecting radially outwardly from the exterior surface of the housing wall, the plurality of stop ribs projecting axially outwardly away from the circumferentially extending collar towards the receiving opening; 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs are circumferentially spaced apart about the circumferentially extending collar, and are positioned to contact against an axial side of the radial sealing element of the filter element, such that the radial sealing element of the filter element is spaced axially away from the circumferentially extending collar by the plurality of stop ribs so as to support the radial sealing element on the housing pot in an axial direction; 
 wherein the plurality of stop ribs limits an axially oriented deformation of the radial sealing element relative to the free rim section of the housing wall when the housing cover is placed onto the housing pot.